ShAARP Session: Observations from AARP

From Kim Barnes

Dr. John LaPuma, also known as the ChefMD and the author of "ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine: A Food Lover's Road Map to Losing Losing Weight, Preventing Disease and Getting Really Healthy," gave his audience basic tips for storing and preparing food to help reduce issues with impotence, premature wrinkling, many cancers, arthritis and others. Among his tips:

• Marinate meats with rosemary


• Store watermelon outside the refrigerator


• Eat 1O walnuts 10 minutes before eating fast food


• Adopt a Mediterranean diet to help prevent Alzheimer's.


• Add black pepper to curry

1. Learn to enjoy the art of cooking.

2. Understand that your fork is as powerful as your prescription drugs in maintaining your health.

3. Find recipes that work for you.

From Meg Grant

You see a lot of things you've never seen before on the exhibit floor of the annual AARP member event. Add to the list, this year, the sight of a man in a wetsuit pedaling an exercise bike in a pool full of water.

To add to the weirdness, the man in question is Wayne Player, the son of famed South African golfer Gary Player.

So here's the story: Player was demonstrating a line of exercise equipment designed specifically for use in water. Developed in Italy and imported by Michael Factor of Jupiter, Fla., the Aquatics USA line includes an exercise bike, a treadmill and a pilates/circuit training bar. "Boomers want to stay healthier now more than ever before," said Factor. "But many of us have knee and back problems, so aquatics have become very popular lately." And because water holds 80 percent of your body weight, you can exercise more vigorously underwater while at the same time protecting against joint stress. The result, says Factor? A 20-minute session on his company's submerged treadmill is the equivalent of 60 minutes of walking on land.

"It's great for those who want to exercise but don't have the ability" to do so on land for one reason or another, Factor said of his company's equipment -- which is designed not to rust and can be submerged in just four feet of water. It's water exercise that, he says, "takes the monotony out of swimming laps." And for the vain among us, the equipment allows you to exercise in the water without getting your hair wet.

The gear isn't cheap--$1950 for the treadmill, $2,250 for the bike, and $2,900 for the circuit bars. But Wayne Player, who damaged his knees after years on the golf course and running track, says the benefits are worth the cost.

Carole Carson, who lost 62 pounds at age 60 and has made it her mission to inspire others to lead a healthier lifestyle, brought her message to an audience of about 150 members at Vegas@50+.

A little over two years ago, Carson documented her weight-loss journey in her local newspaper in Nevada County, Calif. Over 1,000 people in Carson's town followed her lead, and as a result together lost more than 7,500 pounds. Carson, author of From Fat to Fit: Turn Yourself Into a Weapon of Mass Reduction, took her enthusiasm online to AARP.org earlier this year -- starting the Fat2Fit community group and coaching the AARP.org online community in this year's Fat 2 Fit Challenge.

The Fat2Fit group has over 3,900 members, who are still encouraging others in their fitness journey. Carson plans another Fat2Fit Challenge on AARP.org in the spring of 2010.

From Tara Coates

There are four ways to achieve wealth, says AARP financial ambassador Jonathan Pond: marry it, inherit it, win the lottery...or live beneath your means.

"The real key to financial success is to save regularly and regularly increase the amount you save," Pond told an audience of several hundred Saturday at AARP's Vegas@50+ Member Event.

And don't stop investing, or become overly cautious, once you retire. Pond said that retirees often make the mistake of having too much money in cash or other investments that don't have a high rate of return. "You still need income and growth investments to meet the rising cost of living increases. Sure, you may be tapping into your retirement funds in four years, but that money will need you to last 20 or more years."

Pond also encouraged the audience not to forgo living the good life in order to pass along a "fat" inheritance to their children -- who, he said, "don't deserve an inheritance. They just don't. I tell that to everybody -- except my mother," Pond said as the audience laughed and clapped in agreement. Instead, he said, spend the money on yourself and enjoy your life. He closed the session by leading the crowd in a mock swearing-in session in which they all promised to "die destitute."

When it comes to housing, Pond encouraged the audience to downsize from a larger home, to a smaller, more manageable space. But what about having extra room so the kids and the grandkids can visit? "Take the money from selling the house and put them up at a hotel," he said. Plus, he said, there's what he calls "Pond's law of bedrooms": the more bedrooms you have, "the more likely your adult children will move back home."

From Jodi Lipson

AARP members planning to celebrate their last night in Las Vegas at one of the city's 5-star steakhouses were urged to reconsider in a session entitled "Forget What You Hear in the News: Learn the Latest Scientific Findings on Diet and Cancer."

Dr. Arthur Schatzkin of the National Cancer Institute at the National Institute for Health presneted results from a study co-sponsored by AARP and the NIH -- the largest study ever of the impact of diet on the health of people 50 and older.

The size of the research--AARP had to rent a warehouse to store the half a million questionnaires--is allowing the researchers tease out, say, whether obesity might impact esophageal cancer (yes) and brain cancer (more so if you're obese when you were 18 and under). And the results leave no doubt: consumption of red meat increases all sorts of cancer.

On the good news side: the study confirms that 5 hours of vigorous exercise a week will extend your life-- with whole grain foods, fruits, vegetables, and the Mediterranean diet reducing the risk of cancer.

From Barbranda Walls

Health care reform may not dominate the news to the extent it did in the hot days of August, when tempers boiled over at Town Hall meetings; the balloon boy, the war in Afghanistan, and the mystery of the Northwest pilots have pushed it ever-so-slightly to the background.

But it's a complex topic that remains a major concern among AARP members, as evidenced by interest in the Vegas@50+ session "Don't Roll the Dice: Find Out What's Next in Health Care Reform and What It Means For You."

AARP board member Allen Douma, M.D., and John Rother, head of AARP policy and strategy, were peppered with questions about the public option and how to better understand the complex issue of health care reform. The two men laid out AARP's criteria for an acceptable health care reform bill; how reform will impact members and other Americans; and what's in the five House and Senate bills currently under consideration in Congress -- from which one bill in each chamber is expected to emerge this week. If the bills pass on the floor of each chamber, they would then need to be reconciled before going to the President's desk for his signature.

AARP has not endorsed any of the five bills, but Rother said that whatever bill emerges "would be a substantial improvement over the status quo."

From Patti Shea

The dos and don'ts of caregiving are tricky to maneuver, said Virginia Morris, author of "How to Care for Aging Parents," but if done right it can be rewarding to all involved. Planning ahead is key, Morris told an audience of AARP members -- most of whom, by a show of hands, were or have been caregivers.

Morris advised open communication with aging parents, and counseled against addressing them as if they're children. After all, she said, "they're still your parents."

Instead, she said, "be direct," she said, and ask a lot of questions about their past and future worries. Ask them for advice and get them talking about how they cared for their own parents. And be forewarned: "You won't settle this in one conversation." But hang in therre, she said, and "don't be discouraged. You've planted the seed. This will be an on-going conversation."

Above all, Morris suggested, take care of yourself by setting limits, asking for help, spending time with friends, and exercising and eating well. "You have to learn to say 'no,'" Morris said. "And dump the guilt, especially you women."

From Meg Grant

Louis Zorich, the actor best known for playing Paul Reiser's father on the hit TV sitcom Mad About You, thought his gender could protect him from diabetes. "My mother had diabetes," he said in a Friday afternoon question-and-answer session with his wife, Oscar-winning actress Olympia Dukakis. "I used to help her with her insulin shots. Then my sisters got it. So I thought, 'Men in my family don't get diabetes.'"

But earlier this year, after noticing that he was feeling sleepy and groggy during the day, Zorich had his blood sugar tested and was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. He now manages the disease with medication--and by being hyper-vigilant about maintaining the healthy lifestyle he and Dukakis have practiced throughout the 47-year marriage. "We eat right," Zorich said. "We exercise. I try to walk everyday. I want to continue to be Olympia's partner in life and on stage. That's why I'm very careful."

After learning that seven of 10 people age 65-plus have diabetes or pre-diabetes -- and that almost half of them don't know it, Reiser and Dukakis have throw their support behind a public-awareness campaign called Ask.Screen.Know, urging people to get screened for the disease. Those with risks factors such as a family history, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or obesity are eligible for a free diabetes test through Medicare. "And yet, less than 10 percent of those eligible are taking advantage of the test," Zorich said.

"I know, who wants to add another medical test?" asked Dukakis, who says she's not so much her husband's caregiver as his cheerleader. "But few things in life are free - and this is. And we have grandchildren. We have to keep in our minds why we want to stay healthy - and be a role model for them."

From Meg Grant

Chef Anthony Amoroso -- recently featured on TV's Iron Chef America: Food Network, where he spent 60 "nonstop" minutes whipping up a meal in competition with Chef Masaharu Morimoto -- credits his Italian great-grandmother for instilling in him a love for creating and preparing food. She was "the best natural cook I've ever known," he said at Vegas@50+. "The table where the kids ate in my family's New Jersey home was in the kitchen. My grandmother used to always say, 'It's in your hands,' but it took me years to realize what she meant. People can put the same ingredients together in the same order, but the result will always be something different."

Today, he says, "I cook how I eat," which means lots of seafood, fresh herbs, and olive oil as opposed to cream. His signature dishes include a tuna tartare, sea bass with mizo glaze, and a lobster pot pie (okay, maybe a little cream), though when he's at home, cooking for himself, he tends toward comfort food. "My dad came over the other night, and I made chicken and dumplings," he said. "I choose things I can make in one pot, because I'm not at home that much and like to enjoy my time when I'm there."

Off-screen, Amoroso, who is 37, competes in a different arena: the triathlon. To keep his shape svelte, he runs, cycles and swims. "It's how I balance the huge intake of food I have on a daily basis," he says. "I taste everything, not just what I like."

By Barbranda Walls

Ballroom dancing as a workout? You bet. You can break out in a real sweat doing the cha-cha.

I joined more than 200 AARP members for an early morning workout on Saturday with ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" regulars Jonathan Roberts and Anna Trebunskaya. The husband-and-wife team taught their eager dance wannabes the basics of the fast-pace jive, the elegant waltz and the hip-swiveling cha-cha in an hourlong session at Vegas@50+.

"Side, rock, step, cha cha cha," Roberts instructed as music from Santana blared over the loudspeakers and we all moved to the beat. "Work those hips!" Trebunskya delighted the crowd as she showed off some sexy moves -- running her hands over her red hair and winking as she demonstrated the New Yorker step of the cha cha.

Participants paired up with each other and tried not to step on each other's toes. My partner, Sharon, kept apologizing that she wasn't a good dancer as we both laughed as we looked down at our feet and tried to keep up.

The jive was a real challenge; lots of kicking and shimmying. "If you're used to doing ballroom dancing at 7 in the morning, keep going!" Roberts said with a grin as The Contours' "Do You Love Me?" blasted over the speakers.

By the end of it all, I was revved up and a little out of breath. But it felt great.

"I absolutely loved it!" said Shirley Napper of New York City. "It was actually dance movements," which she said she preferred over regular aerobics or strength training.

Jan Dittman of Sacremento, Calif., was just as enthusiastic and sees a change coming in her fitness routine: "I'm going to switch from boot camp to dancing. But don't tell my instructor."

From Barbranda Walls

Barbara Graham, author of "Eye of My Heart: 27 Writers Reveal the Hidden Pleasures and Perils of Being a Grandmother," shed light on the joys and pitfalls of being a grandparent in her presentation. She delighted the audience with her observation that the bond between grandparents and their grandchildren is that they're "united against a common enemy -- the parents."

From Tara Coates

Christine Terry of the Alzheimer's Association urged AARP members to take measures now to prevent, or slow the spreading of, the disease by keeping their brains healthy through stimulation activities, such as:

• Staying socially active


• Staying physically fit


• Playing brain games (crosswords, word searches, etc.)


• Adopting a brain healthy diet (low cholesterol, low fat)


• Being heart healthy


• Keeping stress levels low

From Bernard Ohanian

Dr. Pepper Schwartz, AARP's new expert for love and relationships entertained a crowd of serveral hundred people in the aptly named Casanova ballroom with a talk about sexuality and health that was frank, inspirational, and funny.

Schwartz, the author of 16 books and a professor of sociology at the University of Washington, hammered home her point about the importance of a good sex life. buttressing her arguments by citing numerous academic studies. At various points throughout the presentation, she said:

• "Sex is a lifelong gift."


• "We are meant to have sex frequently to keep us bonded."


• "If you don't have sex you're not taking care of your physical and mental health."


• "Frequent sex adds years to your life."


• "Sex makes us live longer and live healthier."

"This is not," she reminded her audience, "a trivial topic."

While acknowledging that "sex gets trickier with age," she also dismissed as a "myth" the idea that we outgrow our need for sex as we get older. "We can love forever," she said. "We can be passionate forever."

She also gave a sneak preview of some of the results of the 2009 AARP sex survey, which will be released soon. One of the results, she said, made her sad: People aged 45 and older spend less time hugging and kissing than they did in 2004, the last time such a survey was taken. "Let's fix that," she told her laughing audience at the end of her presentation. "Turn to the person next to you, and give him or her a big hug."

The crowd, warmed up by her hour-long discussion of the importance of touch, needed no more urging.

Dr. Reed Tuckson shared 10 ways older American can become "angels of life" and live healthier.

1. Make the Choice to be Healthy
2. Get Moving/Exercise
3. Relax
4. Eat Healthy Every Day
5. If You Smoke, STOP IT!!!
6. Prevent Falls
7. Get Proper Immunizations
8. Practice Safe Sex
9. Work to Create a Healthy Community
10. See Your Doctor Regularly

From Dave Singleton

Speaking to a packed room, Dr. Susan Love spoke passionately about her "Army of Women", a relatively new initiative from one of the "founding mothers" of the fight against breast cancer.

As Dr. Love told the predominately female audience, the Army of Women is "based on getting the research out of the lab rats and into the people." Dr. Love believes that more direct research is the key to a cure for breast cancer: "We just have to keep pushing for more funding and more research," she said. Based on the recent advances with a cervical cancer vaccine, she feels the drum beat is building for that breast cancer cure, as she nears her goal of enlisting building the Army of Women's size to at least one million. "There's no reason there's not a cure right now," she added.

Dr. Love, the president of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation, oversees research focused on breast cancer prevention, while maintaining her practice as a clinical professor of surgery at UCLA. An AARP The Magazine 2009 Inspire Award winner, she also finds time to write, and told the audience that they're inspiring her to finish a follow up to her bestseller, "Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book."

Based on the questions from the audience, Dr. Love's call to arms for her Army of Women is also bringing together survivors and supporters to share their stories and grow another army: one filled with those whose lives have been affected by this terrible disease.

As Dr. Love noted, breast cancer's impact is universal. "If it's not touched you, it's touched someone you care about."

From Dave Singleton

The journalist, broadcaster, and AARP Travel Ambassador says he's determined to put an end to what he views as abuse of the common person by the travel industry.

Just call him the pied piper of travel advocacy. He's a traveler's BFF. In his feature presentation at AARP's Vegas@50+, he shared some of his secrets -- which he referred to as "the bad, the good, and the ugly...in that order."

The travel industry has been rocked by the bad economy and downsizing of everything from staff to planes to number of routes any one airline flies these days. Your response as a traveler, in the world according to Greenberg? Search the Internet for the best deals. Make sure you redeem your miles as soon as possible. Visit the foreign partners of U.S.-based carriers, where you might find better deals and more capacity.

When possible, talk to real, live people who can help cut the ties of bureaucratic, technological hell and get the best rates and service. Getting a real person on the phone? Greenberg said go to gethuman.com, which offers key codes that help you bypass voicemail systems for all types of travel providers.

Greenberg wants travelers to stay mad, yet -- despite all the dire news in the travel industry -- hopeful. "It's still a buyer's market, people," the author of the new book, Tough Times, Great Travel told the crowd. "At a time when people are telling you there are no deals, just remember that Peter told you they're wrong. The deals are out there."

Gloria Estefan performed for a room packed full of Vegas@50+ attendees...and was joined by special guest, blogger, Perez Hilton! Check out the video below to feel the rhythm!

From Tara Coates

With a background in nursing, AARP President Jennie Chin Hansen introduced several sessions on health and medicine this week, including, "What's Up, Doc?" Experts in geriatric medicine offered valuable, easy-to-digest nuggets to help AARPers become active participants in the doctor-patient relationship--and avoid doctors when possible. Among the suggestions:

• No doctor went to medical school to be rude to patients, so if your doctors are rude or not listening, call them on it. If you don't like your doctor, get a new one. It's not a popularity contest.


• 2.7 million Americans die from falls. Be safe and make sure your house is safe.


• When you visit your doctor, know your medications (not "I take a red pill in the morning and a blue one at night") and bring a list of questions. Start with the last item on your list, because, that's usually the question that concerns patients most.


• It doesn't pay to lie your to doctor. If she asks if you smoke, don't say never if you just quit two days ago. If you're feeling blue, mention it. Many older people who commit suicide have seen a doctor in the last month.


• Yes, get the seasonal and swine flu vaccines.


• Bring reading glasses to the emergency room. You'll need to read what you're signing, but more practical, at least you'll be able to read while you're waiting.

From Barbranda Walls

Want to release the pressure? Beating it out in a drum circle may do the trick.

John Fitzgerald, a pony-tailed musician from Carlsbad, Calif., enticed passers-by at Vegas@50+ to sit and jam in the circle he set up outside the exhibit hall at the Sands Convention Center. Some looked at him warily as he invited them to pick up a cow bell or maracas and join in the driving rhythm that pulsated throughout the corridors. Others jumped right in and got into the groove.

No previous musical experience was required. I started off on a drum and quickly caught on to the beat. I then switched to a wooden percussion instrument I couldn't even identify and gleefully tapped on it. Others in the circle smiled and welcomed those who came in to play. Fitzgerald directed us to drop in and out of the beat, sometimes leaving the drums to take center stage and then the percussion to be the star.

"Now don't you feel better?" Fitzgerald asked me when I left the circle. Indeed, I did. It was a fun way to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the day.

From Bill Newcott

More than 600 grownup movie lovers crowded into the Movies for Grownups Screening Room to watch the touching drama Lovely, Still, and to listen to Oscar winning star Martin Landau talk about his role. Landau plays an elderly man who finds love late in life with the mysterious woman who moves in across the street, played by another Oscar winner, Ellen Burstyn.

Landau got a standing ovation as he came to the stage following the film, which involves a character's encounter with Alzheimer's. He spoke candidly about making the film--and his personal experience with an Alzheimer's patient.

"My brother-in-law had Alzheimers," Landau said. "And he had ways to try and cover for it. When I'd come to see him, he'd stretch out his arms and say, 'Look who's here!' And he had no idea who I was. He spoke in generalities, because the specifics were lost to him.

"When I read the script, I knew it was something I wanted to do, so I asked to speak with the writer. They told me he lived in Toledo, and I said, 'I can't help that.' So he came out to see me. He was 24 years old!"

In fact, he said, despite the fact that Lovely Still burrows into some of the most intimate cares and challenges of older people, the entire production team was in their 20s and 30s.

"They were so young," he marveled. "I can't tell you how young they were!"

Also on the after-film panel was Betth Kallmyer, director of Familyand Information Services for the Alzheimer's Association, who observed that families will sometimes go to great lengths to accommodate loved ones with the debilitating brain disease.

"They will role play," she said. "It's important to tell people with Alzheimer's the truth, but sometimes the best truth."

Landau, who appeared on Las Vegas TV this morning to promote the screening, stayed on afterward to chat with a gathering of filmgoers.

From Tara Coates

Why are some people financially comfortable while others struggle paycheck-to-paycheck?

Financial author Jean Chatzky has an idea, identifying eight factors that divide those who are struggling financially from those who are financially sound.

Chatzky's latest book, "The Difference: How Anyone Can Prosper in Even the Toughest Times," was based on research conducted by Harris Interactive and Merrill Lynch, and included over 5,000 interviews. In the research, Fifty-four percent of those interviewed described themselves as living paycheck-to-paycheck. About 27 percent of the respondents said they were "financially comfortable", while 3 percent described themselves as wealthy.

The eight qualities Chatzky saw in the wealthy and financially comfortable groups included: happiness/optimism, resilience, connectedness, passion, intuition, habitual saving, investing in stocks, and gratitude.

How many do you have?

From Dave Singleton

It's hard to drag yourself to the gym or walking path in the morning for a solo workout to kick-start your day. But there's power - and fun - in numbers. This morning, Vegas@50+ members showed up en masse to exercise with tennis legend and AARP's Health and Fitness Ambassador Martina Navratilova.

Sharing with the SRO crowd that she'd arrived in Las Vegas fresh from filming a documentary this past week with Chris Evert on their past rivalry, Martina definitely had members up and moving within minutes.

They raised their energy levels - and moved and sweated more - when she shared that this particular workout was her warm up before her winning tennis matches. Talk about motivating! That kind of challenge makes all participants in the room feel like champs!

While the crowd moved and shaked, Martina shared some of her exercise tips:

Make it fun and vary what you do, so you don't get bored with your routine.

Stretch as much as you can, since you lose flexibility as you age ("use it so you don't lose it," she said while in the middle of a hamstring stretch).

Yes, you've heard some of her advice and motivational mantras before. But when Martina reminds the crowd that, "you only get out of a workout what you put into it," somehow it carries more weight. The audience breathes more deeply, focuses their movements, and goes for the burn.

And lest you think that the teacher can't learn anything from her students, Martina brought several members on stage with her for some salsa - the non-edible kind - at the session's end. "I can't dance, I need help," she said, and five members jumped at the chance to share the stage with a legend.

Dancing with a (tennis) star and a room full of smiling AARP members beats a solo workout any day, no?

From Bernard Ohanian

Dan Buettner, author and researcher known for his work on "Blue Zones" -- places around the world where higher percentages of people than normal live long and fulfilled lives -- talked about his work in the Blue Zones and with the Vitality Project in Albert Lea, Minn.

He also added several tips for a longer and more fulfilling life, including:
1) Not exercising, but instead incorporating natural movement into your life: walking, raking leaves, getting up to change the Tv Channel rather than using the remote, etc.

2) Cutting stress by "downshifting" in your life, with quiet moments of prayer, meditation and the like

3) Having a sense of purpose in your life - a reason to live

4) Not dieting on a short-term basis, but eating wisely -- which he defined as a plant-based diet, with some meat and/or fish, and ample beans, nuts and even tofu as protein sources. He also recommended drinking two glasses of wine per day with meals; eating a big breakfast; and eating off of smaller plates.

5) Connecting with your family and community -- "putting your loved ones first" -- and surrounding yourself with people with good health habits and rich and active social and community lives.

In a later session, introduced by AARP Board President Jennie Chin Hansen, assistant surgeon general Dr James Galloway highlighted a panel that shared a PowerPoint with a map of major U.S. roadways intended to illustrate pressures on circulation, thrombosis, embolisms, and amputations. The panelists' advice? Exercise (walking is ideal), don't smoke, eat well, and maintain an ideal body weight (it turns out, Dr. Joshua Beckman of Harvard Medical School pointed out, that Mom was right when she gave us the same advice. One exception to the advice about walking: if you feel any symptoms of a heart attack, run (well, maybe not literally!) to the emergency room.

From Patti Shea

Famed football announcer James "JB" Brown got close with his audience, ditching the standard podium so he could see their faces close up.

JB, host of CBS's NFL Today and AARP's Community Ambassador, delighted the audience with stories of former NFL stars and colleagues Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long. But JB also talked about his childhood and how he learned about giving back to the community.

"The nuclear family is only as strong as those who are involved in it," Brown said, encouraging audience members to take their life experiences and make a difference in the life of a child. "Use old school values that have contemporary applications."

Joking about his not-so-svelte 58-year-old body, JB joked with the audience about learning of Spanx - a modern girdle of sorts worn my women. "My Spanx are doing just fine," he said, laughing and pulling out his nicely tailored slacks. The audience roared.

From Barbranda Walls

"I'm going to stay cool at 50," said basketball legend and successful entrepreneur Earvin "Magic" Johnson on receiving his official AARP membership card Thursday (he turned 50 in August).

In an hour-long session, the always-engaging Johnson strolled out into the crowd, quizzing audience members about what they like best about AARP and then riffing off their answers.

One woman asked for a senior discount at his businesses (he said he would take it under advisement), and another asked if her HIV-positive daughter could contact him (he said he would call her tomorrow).

Dapper in a gray 3-piece suit, Johnson thrilled the crowd by posing for pictures with audience members. In-between pictures and engaging with the audience, Johnson wove in stories about his playing days in the NBA and getting his start as a businessman -- and also stressed the importance of taking care of your health and investing in your community.

From Dave Singleton

Most people who attended the "Maximizing Your Membership - How to Get the Most Value Out of Your AARP Membership" session expected to hear more details about AARP's current discounts and benefits. A team of benefit experts did just that, with timely reminders about AARP's Consumer Cellular and Driver Safety programs, discounts on AARP legal services, much-welcomed discounts at the Everyday Savings Center, and the Health Essentials Catalog.

But lucky (and somewhat surprised) attendees were most pleased to hear a preview of upcoming AARP benefits, revealed for the first time by AARP's Vice President of Membership Lynn Mento -- including grocery coupons, restaurant discounts in conjunction with Restaurants.com, a hearing care program, work and finance webinars, and more travel and entertainment offers.

"If anyone deserves a sneak peek," she told us afterwards, " it's our members attending Vegas@50+." Judging from the loud round of applause that greeted Mento's surprise presentation, those members quite agree.

From Dave Singleton

With a very bass-driven remix of The Rolling Stones' song Sympathy for the Devil blasting from two huge speakers, Carmen Marc Valvo's fashion show began. Gorgeous, willowy tall models in long flowing gowns glided across the stage one by one.

Valvo, the American designer of Spanish and Italian descent whose dress designs and accessories have been a favorite among celebrities for more than 15 years, introduced himself to the rapt AARP audience via fabulous, colorful frocks. But over the next 90
minutes of his presentation, the audience really got to know him through his fashion statement about colon cancer.

If some designers are known for sticking to certain colors and styles, Carmen Marc Valvo mixed it up with this new fall collection of striking multicolored fabrics, adorning everything from sequined cocktail mini dresses to long evening gowns with flowing scarf trains.

Of course, there was the requisite black, long a fashion show staple. But Valvo added hot orange, blue, pink, gold, and silver to the mix. And lots of sequins. Yes, lots of sequins, sometimes comprising the entire dress but mostly just as sexy trim.

If there's one common theme of all dresses is that they shimmer. He clearly loves mixing up fabrics and styles but the man is all about the shimmer. Every dress seemed to appear with its own personal spotlight, with Valvo accenting each woman's features in a sexy, stylish way.

Happily, stylish didn't equate to the stick thin models we've come to expect. While some of the models were thin, not all of them were. That resonated with this largely 50+ audience.

"Thank you for indulging me in my platform of fashion to bring home a much more important message," Valvo said. "I am a fashion designer, but I am also a colon cancer survivor. I am six years clean."

Cancer and fashion aren't two concepts you think about in the same breath, but Valvo wants to change that, and he's one of the first fashionista men to try. He wants to carry on the tradition of other fashion leaders such as Liz Tilberis, the former editor of Harper's
Bazaar magazine, who lost her battle with ovarian cancer several years ago bringing her cancer fight to the fore.

Several years ago, at 48, Valvo was diagnosed with colon cancer. He underwent his operation quietly and didn't share his battle. He's quiet about it no more. He wants to make it commonplace, fashionable even, to talk about colon cancer, especially ways to prevent it, such as regular colonoscopies.

He shares his own story in hopes of inspiring others. He knows colon cancer is a touchy subject for many, and he readily admits he wasn't always such a bold advocate."

"I had to convince my doctor to give me a colonoscopy, if you can believe it," he said. "Sometimes you don't listen to yourself. You need to be your own best advocate. Find a doctor who really hears you."

During his talk and subsequent Q&A, he shared his hope that people will raise their awareness of colon cancer now.

"This is the third most prevalent cancer and second most common cause of cancer deaths," Valvo said. "Screenings are so important since early detection is key to recovery."

While Valvo might have introduced himself as a man of style, he quickly showed the audience that he's a man of substance, too.

From Meg Grant

In a Thursday afternoon session at Vegas@50+, author Larry Ackerman encouraged participants to crack their individual identity codes as a way of "turbo-boosting the impact of your lives going forward. It doesn't happen overnight," he cautioned, "but it's a great journey, and there's no downside."

Well, there's not much in life you can say THAT about. Ackerman laid out eight questions that individuals can answer to help identify out who they are, what they have to
offer, and what their legacy will be.

In addition to the obvious "What's my purpose?" question, Ackerman urged audience members to start by making a list of the activities they love and figure out why they love them to get to the root of who they are.

For me, the quick answers would be: tend my rose garden, relax with a very dry martini, write a story, and take pride in my kids - not all in that order. What, in the heck, does that say about me?

From Bill Newcott

They're laughing uncontrollably in here, at the first screening of our annual Movies for Grownups Film Festival. We've got about 400 people here, thoroughly enjoying Certifiably Jonathan, a uniquely offbeat film starring the wonderful Jonathan Winters. It's amazing--the film opens with a 50-year-old clip of Winters on Jack Paar's show, and he just stands there with a stick, making believe it's a fishing pole (hooking his wife), a boating pole, a spear. He's inventing modern improvisational comedy before our eyes. The audience loves it not just because it's funny, but because many of them were there, witnessing history being made.

The woman sitting near me has just jumped up and is heading for the door. Her husband (?) reaches to pull her back, but she whispers, "I've got to get Celeste. She's got to see this."

Later, Winters is talking about his time in a mental hospital in the 50s, about the shock treatments he underwent. "What are you erasing?" he asked them. "We don't know," they answered, "But we need to erase some of that pain."

The movie features a lot of Winters' paintings--a surreal mix of Magritte and Dali. The audience gasps-even though he's painted all his life, few people know his work, until now.

Senior White House Advisor, Valerie Jarrett joins us here in Vegas for Vegas@50+ to talk all things health care reform.

She'll appear at the session, "Health Care Reform - If Now Now, Then When?" showing at 2:30 p.m. PDT (that's 5:30 p.m. for you East coasters!). You can watch the livestream of the session at www.aarp.org/healthcareevent

Let us know what you think of the panel discussion!

From Jodi Lipson in the front of the line as the Exhibit Hall opens:

Joyce Rittman from Apple Valley, Calif., was first in line at the Exhibit Hall, which opened at 10 a.m. "We wanted to get into United Health Care and get a massage," she says. "Free," she adds.

Of course free. Free is the watchword at the Exhibit Hall: a massage for Joyce. Hand wax followed by Theraband exercises (keep the band) for Regina Stierhoff from Columbus, Ohio. AARPers also snatched up the usual candy, keychains, and magnets, of course. Even tuna fish (yes, tuna fish, in foil packets), pill bottle openers, and video e-cards that you can send to those poor schlubs who you left at home while you came to Vegas to get free stuff. Those with more patience can stand in line to spin, Vegas-style, for Verizon playing cards or hand sanitzer, hip Jamaican black T-shirts, a Imperial Capitol Bankcorps' leather briefcase.

Fred Katen's motive for being at the front of the line was less materialistic. "I like to be first," says Katen, from Milford, Conn., "to take advantage of my retirement." There was plenty of information for that, too: retirement communities, cameras for watching your grandchildren grow up, high-tech beds to make you sleep better and shoes to help you walk easier.

Carolyn Kaskavitch from Piedmont, Mo., was more adventurous. Also at the front of the line, she was seeking volunteer vacations. "My niece went to England to do a dig," she says. "At my age, I don't want to dig." She was open to new opportunities. The travel corridor at the Exhibit Hall features booths from around the world, from Laughlin, Nev. (a small Las Vegas, the exhibitor explained to an AARP member who had never heard of it) to Ethiopia, with a table lined with packets of ground coffee. Free, of course.

From Patti Shea

Adrenaline junkies met at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Wednesday to fill their need for speed -- all part of the Richard Petty Experience where AARP members did ride-a-longs in an official NASCAR stock car for three laps at 165 m.p.h. as part of the "Day of Play" preceding the AARP Vegas@50+ Member Event, set to kick off Thursday.

AARP member Rita Bintiff bought her husband, David, the ride as a surprise. As he removed his helmet after his 2-minute, 4 1/2-mile ride, David declared the experience "awesome." In addition to the helmet, riders wore jumpsuits, and neck restraint devices, just like the pros. At the wheel are drivers who race locally in Las Vegas or who are trained by Petty drivers. After each car returned to pit row, the riders climbed out through the window (again, like the pros) with wide smiles on their faces.

When my turn came, I donned a jumpsuit and helmet and jumped in the car with Jimmy, a driver on the Vegas circuit. Being a serious NASCAR cynic, I asked him if there was more to professional driving than "just drive a little while then turn left." It was at that point Jimmy punched it. By Turn 2 we were up to 100 m.p.h and at Turn 4 along the main stretch we had reached 165 m.p.h. We came inches from the wall, hitting 3 Gs in the turns. The pressure on your chest is a reminder that speed is the boss and the thunder of the engines drowns out any screaming (of which there was some.)

In addition to visting Las Vegas Motor Speedway AARP members who registered for the "Day of Play" had the choice of golf at Angel Park Golf Club or a spa session at Canyon Ranch SpaClub. The Vegas@50+ Member Event concludes Saturday.

Because I know you want the scoop...and because we are talking to some very cool folks this year at Vegas@50+, here's some sneak peek interviews with the celebs showing up in Vegas!

We chatted with James Brown, NFL commentator, about him, his career and inspiring story.

We also talked with Martina Navratilova about all things health and fitness (she's going to be hosting a morning work out for those of you joining us in Vegas - check it out!).

And...this one is really neat I think...an interview with Jane Seymour about everything from her stint on Dancing with the Stars to what she learned from her first boyfriend!

More to come! Let us know if you spot any cool celebs if you're here in Vegas!

We are very excited to announce today that GRAMMY® Award-winning Country star Faith Hill appears in a new public service announcement that encourages Americans to volunteer their time to make America a better place.

Faith's ad, featuring AARP Create The Good is one of the iParticipate series you'll see on ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC.

Got 30 seconds? Take a look at Faith's ad and let us know what you think and how you like to make a difference. As she says, "There are so many ways to serve. What will you do?"

If you're looking for ideas and inspiration to make a difference on your own time, in your community, on the things you care about, visit AARP's www.createthegood.org to get started.

Blythe Danner, Gwyneth Paltrow, Morgan Freeman and Matthew McConaughey are among the performers featured in the PSAs. iParticipate was recently launched in New York's Times Square with Create The Good volunteers. We were joined by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and 15 mayors from around the country, numerous celebrities, including Ashton Kutcher, Tyler Perry, Tim Daly (ABC), Christine Baranski (CBS), Randy Jackson (FOX), Michelle Trachtenberg (NBC), among others, and key service groups to launch the initiative. Check out the pictures and video in Create The Good's Facebook group.

If you witnessed the awesomeness that was 25,000 AARP members descending upon Washington, DC last year for our annual member event...then you'll understand why I am super excited to head out to Vegas next week for this year's event!

There will be no shortage of star power (hello Faith Hill and Gloria Estefan performing live!)...and oh yeah some learning too (folks can get the skinny on health care reform and financial planning at University sessions).

First, check out our Vegas@50 page here. And just to tease you a little, we sat down and talk to fashion designer Carmen Marc Valvo to ask a few questions and financial planner/guru Jonathan Pond. Want more? Check out www.aarp.org/vegas for more great articles before, during and after Vegas@50+.

Can't go but want in on goodies? Check out our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for all the Vegas fun.